2. Hush

Skye moved through the settlement with determination. She'd changed her clothes and washed her face in preparation of their tryst. Lucas wasn't expecting her, but she knew he'd retired for now. Lucas had refused to live in his father's quarters and chosen his from one of the newer houses like a stubborn child. It was guarded naturally, but Skye was certain he'd let her pass. She was his little Bucket, wasn't she?

The guards paid no heed to her as walked to his door, just as she'd suspected. Being right offered her little satisfaction though, for she had secretly hoped he would refuse her and have nothing more to do with her, at least tonight. Skye knew she needed to focus to be as pleasing and lovable as possible without giving anything away. She could already feel the ghost of Commander Taylor yelling in her head, telling her this was wrong, but she pushed onwards anyway. Skye didn't like quitting even in the face of danger, which was probably why she'd been labeled a troublemaker in the first place.

She reached the door and brushed her sweaty hand palm against her thigh before lifting her hand to his door to knock. The sound was quiet at first, but it became louder when she steeled her resolve and put more strength in that simple action. Her heart was thumping loudly in her chest, a betrayal to her nervousness and fears. But everything washed away when he opened the door, leaning against the door frame with his mouth slowly curving to a smile.

"How can I help you, Bucket?" he asked, appearing relaxed and seemingly delighted at her presence. She wanted to curl up and cover her face as he scanned her from head to toe with those intense dark green eyes. That gaze made her feel bare, vulnerable, but she made herself smile in spite of it and look back at him – gazing straight into the abyss.

"I feel bad about the way we left things," she said, her eyes quickly glancing at the handgun by his side and the knife on his belt. She forced her fear down and averted her eyes from him like a shy young girl would. She wanted him to believe she was nervous for other reasons.

"And what way is that?" Lucas asked, shifting a bit as he inched slightly closer to her. She could smell his aftershave and sweat; they had mixed into a unique scent that was different from before, more civilized perhaps. Skye returned her eyes to him to find that she was still talking to the spider, albeit he seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say. But he was on his toes; he didn't like rejection even if it had fit with his plans.

"Can I come in?" Skye asked as innocently as she could, shifting as if bothered by the guards that stood in the yard, trying their best not to appear as if they were eavesdropping. Lucas took notice of this too, and irritation bled into his kind expression. "Sure," he said, looking over her shoulder at the almost empty yard.

Skye moved to step inside, but found herself bumping gently against his unyielding figure. Lucas stood perfectly still and made no effort to move aside. He acted as if he didn't even notice how close she was now, like he was focused on something else, when in reality his senses were flooded with her lovely scent, and he was captivated by it. Then he placed his hand on her shoulder and backed up into the dim room, making way for her to enter. He pushed her gently, and Skye stepped inside, putting distance between them again as she found her heart racing faster than she would've liked.

Lucas closed the door behind her and fiddled with the security system a bit, leaving her in twilight for a moment. She could see the shapes of the furniture and smell him all over the room, but she didn't have much time to explore; he flipped on the lights a moment later, blinding her for a few seconds and leaving her in uncertainty, until she regained her eyesight. That blind moment felt like an eternity, as she could hear his approaching steps, and she hoped he would not use this to his advantage. He walked right by her though, against her expectations.

Skye focused on the room she'd entered and scanned its layout in silence. It was clean, although she could tell his mind was at work here too: There were doodles all over, calculations on paper and prints, but they were placed all around in orderly fashion. Otherwise the decor was simple, crude even. Skye suspected the house had been prepared for one of the pilgrims in the Eleventh Pilgrimage, but was free for his use since very few of them had made it out to Terra Nova alive after the Sixer attack at the portal.

Lucas had walked by a desk, and he was now withdrawing his gun from its holster and his knife from his belt, placing them on the far edge of the table, which eased her mind quite a bit. Then he reached for a bottle on the table and two glasses to accompany it.

"Would you like a drink?" he asked her politely, but she could feel his anticipation all over his tense voice. He thought she'd refuse him and that it would be rude, she observed. Skye eyed the bottle suspiciously, and decided the liquid inside had to be some kind of whiskey. Its tint was too light to be brandy.

He was pouring himself a glass, his back facing her. She needed to be on his good side, and she was sure this would calm her nerves as well, ease her into the situation, so she decided to surprise him.

"I would," she replied, her own voice sounding distinct and mature to her ears. There was no sign of the internal battle that raged in his presence.

He walked up to her with two glasses a moment later, offering her one and then bringing his own drink to his lips. Skye sipped her drink cautiously, feeling the alcohol burn her lips and nostrils. Its stench was terrible. Lucas didn't seem as skittish, no, he emptied his glass quite quickly and observed her while she tried to consume the alcohol in her glass. He was about to make a remark, when Skye suddenly emptied it with one gulp.

"You didn't have to humor me, little sister," he smiled, placing his glass on the desk. Skye followed suit, feeling the burn in her throat and the warmth that liquid had spread across her body. She'd put on a fresh tank top and cargo pants and braided her hair to appear more appealing, but sweat was already gathering at the small of her back and the air felt heavy in her lungs. She suspected she wasn't any kind of sight to behold right now.

When Lucas looked at her again, towering above her in a non-threatening capacity for once, she simply shrugged off his comment. "We were interrupted before I could get my drink," she said innocently, her eyes focusing on Lucas as he wet his lower lip.

He no longer wore his gloves and his hair was messy, leading a part of her into delusion as she actually though he looked more like a boy than a man that moment. It reminded her of the first time they had met, when she'd still felt sympathy for him – before he had shown her his true colors. He'd looked kind of handsome, had this presence about him, and she had been barely able to believe his unbelievably soft voice was speaking threats against her.

A shine in his eyes, a dangerous one at that, interrupted her kind thoughts, as he grinned at her. "Yes, we were interrupted, weren't we?" he commented, recalling that magical moment she'd allowed him to touch her, to open up to her, and then had it interrupted by that Shannon boy. There was nothing kind about his face now, and she realized she could see the light bruises from Josh's punches on his face and his split lip. She was treading on dangerous grounds.

"Josh never knew his place," she hurried to comment, trying to find an angle that would please him, but not appear too willing. "He's just a silly boy, Lucas. Distraught over the death of his girlfriend," she tried to explain and belittle her friend the best she could. She realized to her delight that her words actually seemed to calm Lucas down a bit.

"I'm sure you've already taught him a lesson. There's no reason to give him what he wants by treating him like an adult," she continued and moved a little closer to him, testing the waters. Her hand traced the surface of the desk.

Lucas grinned again, sighing. "You're probably right, Bucket," he said, his words eliciting a burst of relief within her. She kept it hidden though and reacted nonchalantly to his words.

"But I think it was a bit more personal," he then continued and made her heart skip a beat, as he brought his hand to her cheek, caressing it gently. "I think he was jealous of us."

Skye stood still this time despite the contradicting emotions that his touch brought forth. The first times he'd approached her she'd been frozen by fear, driven into panic by his closeness. However, she was getting used to these affectionate gestures by now; they no longer felt as alien as they had at first. She was beginning to ease into this, into relaxing, and allowing him to invade her perimeters.

Lucas also noted the way she reacted to his touch somehow calmer. Skye no longer looked like a deer caught in the headlights as he touched her, and he found it quite comforting. She'd just needed a little time, he thought.

"I don't think so," Skye finally sighed, refusing to walk to away.

He withdrew his hand, puzzled by her words. "Don't be so naïve," Lucas told her, sounding more like a big brother again, which was somewhat of a relief. "You're beautiful. I'm quite sure you'll live to see boys doing many more silly things for your attention."

Oh, Lucas already had her attention. He hadn't needed to undo the laws of physics, attack her home, and engage her in conspiracy and politics to catch her attention. Skye was sure she would feel him, even if she was blind. He had quite a presence.

"Boys are boys," she shrugged, showing little interest in continuing this conversation. Lucas was sidetracking her as always, which meant it was harder to think of fitting responses on the fly. He was intelligent, and she was a fool to think she could distract him for long, so she had to resort to other means, which meant taking a gamble.

"I don't care about boys," she said and tilted her head while she looked at him, expressing her interest.

Lucas' eyes betrayed him, he was immediately in her thrall again, catching onto the hint she'd given him. Skye knew the truth now just by looking into his eyes; there was nothing brotherly about his interest in her. That scene at the bar had been less of a setup than she'd initially thought. Josh had seen where things were headed clearer than she had. That terrible dread of being caught in a spider web crawled inside her again, wanting for her to burst. But Skye held her ground. She owed these people.

"Oh, did you think I would be interested in Josh?" Skye laughed, as if amused by his reaction. She moved her hand to cover her mouth, whilst she giggled a bit in an attempt to appear more feminine. She could feel how the laughter rolled out easily, which led her to conclude that alcohol really was the great social lubricant. Skye was quite content with her performance so far and could tell Lucas was tricked too.

"You're so very young," he said, his voice rasping with weight. Was it regret she heard? Skye's smile died when she looked at him, finding his face serious and his eyes lingering on the details of her face. She didn't like his tone of voice at all.

She acted to keep him from pouring more truths at her; she brushed his hand on the desk playfully, immediately catching his attention. She knew it was her fourth mistake the same moment she did it, but by then it was too late. Skye entwined their fingers, locking his hand inside her small fist the best she could and said, "I'm not that young at all, big brother."

Something lit in his eyes. He breathed her in and out, felt the way her blood pumped in the veins of her hand and gazed at her beautiful optimistic eyes that looked at him with adoration – sisterly adoration.

He jerked his hand away from hers and locked her jaw still with both his hands, bringing her face to him violently. "I'm not your damn brother!" he shouted, his soft voice thundering in her ears. Why was it this soft even when he yelled at her?

Her eyes spread with fear and her playfulness vanished, leaving behind that scared little girl he'd so easily goaded into doing his dirty work. She'd made him mad so easily, crossed that invisible line between the civil Lucas and the obsessed and unbalanced Lucas, who did terrible things in his rage. Skye held back the tears, nurtured the anger inside. She wasn't good at dancing around subjects or playing his games. He kept tugging at her strings, like she was some marionette that was supposed to find her footing by nothing but instinct!

Her jaw tensed under his tight grip, and she clenched her teeth together before she yanked herself free with all the strength she could muster. "It was a mistake coming here!" she yelled back, rage fuelling her onwards. She set to storm off right away, tired of games and acting. It was so hard to keep appearances with this madman.

Lucas caught her hand quickly though, unwilling to allow her to escape. He pulled her in his arms, while she was kicking and clawing, trying her best to harm him in some way. And he just hushed in her ear, hushed for her to calm down like she was the crazy one losing her mind here. He buried his face in her hair, and she felt the way his unshaven jaw prickled her neck. His hands rocked her, until she had no strength left to fight. All she could feel was the heat that emanated from his body, his warm breath that smelled of alcohol on her ear, and her own heartbeat, so wild and reckless before it began to slow down.

Lucas brushed her hair back with his hand, still holding her firmly with his other hand that was wrapped around her waist. "Don't go, Bucket," he whispered, pleading like a man living on a prayer.

Skye bit her own lip to force her mask back on, to think of the right thing to say. But all she could think of was how scared she'd just been and still was. "You're scaring me, Lucas," she said, her voice disjointed and barely loud enough for him to hear.

He didn't let her go, actually he held onto her tighter now, pressing her against his chest. "I wish you didn't try my patience like this…," he said, closing his eyes as he inhaled her again and pressed his face against her neck. She couldn't tell if he was drowning or hugging her. She supposed it was a mixture of both and a bottle full of pent up emotions that the alcohol had set loose once again. And there she recognized yet another mistake.

"You call me your sister all time, Lucas," she put more weight on his name to gain his attention. And a second later his grip loosened a bit, and he prompted her to turn around to face him. Skye followed his wishes, her feet feeling numb while she forced them to move. His green eyes seemed brighter somehow, as he quickly cupped her face with his hand, trying his best to get through to her, even as irritation distorted her beautiful features.

Skye didn't allow herself to show any weakness. She'd been way too close to danger already, so she had no chances to slip up now. She faced him with frozen rage keeping her still and giving her the strength to keep together.

"I care for you so much," he told her, his thumb rubbing her cheek. "I just want you to do as I say, Skye. It's for your own good."

Thrills ran down her spine as he spoke to her about his feelings. The unspoken truth lied between them naked and visible, even without words. He was obsessed, but Skye reasoned he didn't know the difference between love and desire.

"You want me to fear you," she said, correcting his error and seeing clearly that her opposition was simply pushing her towards a steep ledge. But then again she'd always liked that feel of danger, the scent of trouble. It was why she'd been able to stand tall in front of Lucas before, to challenge him, and come here tonight.

Lucas seemed amused though, he even smiled kindly. "All I want is respect," he explained, frowning as if he was unable to understand why she kept using extremes when she spoke to him. He removed his hand from her cheek and took her hand in his, bringing it to his chest. His shirt felt moist from sweat, but the gesture was inviting.

"It's not all you want," Skye whispered, her eyes falling from his face and onto his chest. The two upmost buttons of his shirt were open, and she could catch a peek at his tanned, muscled chest. He should've been unattractive and disgusting, but she felt his desire so clearly. He was different from the boys she'd snuck out with, cuddled or even kissed. But somewhere beneath that hardboiled façade laid this softer Lucas, who was begging her to love him.

Lucas placed his hand on the back of her head, and made her lean in for a kiss on her forehead. It was far from brotherly, and when she looked at him again the spider was back. He gazed at her from his heights, evaluating what she was thinking from his eagle's nest. A sly expression crept to his face, as he reached a conclusion about her.

"If I asked nicely," he said, moving her hand over his heart, "would you love me, Bucket?"

Her mind was blank, just a mass of emptiness for a moment. Then her thoughts returned, jumbled up as she debated between instinct and rationale. She was here on a mission: to pierce his bastard's heart, and let him bleed dry – no, that wasn't it. She needed to win his trust, lull him to a false sense of security.

"Of course I love you, Lucas," she said, feeling his steady heartbeat beneath her fingers. "You're my brother."

She smirked at the sight of his rage, witnessing how he tried his best to contain it. She was cruel and inconsiderate, but he deserved it. She'd tug at his heartstrings all she could, because he had toyed with her too. He'd threatened her, turned her world upside down, hurt the ones she loved, and now he dared to ask her to care for him!

But when she withdrew her hand, she found that his anger manifested in a whole new way now; he pressed his lips against hers, his tongue invading her mouth, and plunging her into sweet confusion. Skye sank into his embrace, into his kiss. It was a maelstrom unlike any before. Her body responded to his kiss primitively, thrusting her to arousal. She wasn't supposed to like it, to lose herself in this passion, but she did. Apparently he had enough passion for the both of them.

When his lips finally parted with hers, Skye found herself gasping for air, engulfed by heat and excitement.

"Don't call me that," Lucas breathed a threat that felt empty, as if he too was weak and powerless in the aftermath of their kiss. She tasted blood in her mouth, her eyes avoiding him the best she could. Shame filled her, but she couldn't deny that she'd liked it.

"You're not my brother," she repeated mindlessly, feeling numb. Her mouth was dry, and the need he'd awoken was almost painful. Lucas petted her hair, satisfied with her confession and surrender. He would turn her around; open her eyes even if it took a lifetime.

He needed her in more ways than one, but the most pressing was the hunger that had enveloped him some time ago, when he'd first taken notice of how beautiful she'd become. The same hunger that had clutched his insides when he'd threatened her mother and thanked her for her help back at the Sixers' Camp. His need for her was beyond rationale; it couldn't be helped, not anymore. She'd sealed everything with that kiss.

"I want you to do me a favor," he asked next, whilst still standing too close to her. Skye turned her face to him again, wary and suspicious of his promises. She knew all too well how fickle he was.

Lucas decided to ease her into it, so he put his hand on her small of her back gently. "I will do a favor for you, if you do one for me," he teased her, knowing she would take the bait.

"Anything you want," he continued, knowing already what she wanted: the freedom of that Shannon boy. She was predictable even if she claimed she didn't care for him either way. Her eyes betrayed her. But it didn't matter, because he knew she would steer clear from him from now on. She'd learned her lesson, even if the kid hadn't learned his.

"Anything?" she asked in disbelief, wondering if this was what the breaking of her heart felt like: Like she was being pulled away from the light into heat that scorned her.

"Anything," he repeated, and lifted her eyes to meet his by placing a finger under her chin. His wonderful green eyes seemed sincere, and she wanted to believe him.

"What do you want, Lucas?" Skye asked, trying to lift her spirit, find that anger again. It proved difficult when he was near though. Lucas was poison for her thoughts and dreams. Hope died in his wake. But something inside her sparked every time he touched her, something she didn't recognize.

"Kiss me," he said, and moved away from her.

He left her to stand on her own as the intent of his request slowly dawned on her. He wanted her to kiss him, for her to make the initiative. He didn't want a lifeless puppet in his arms; he wanted her with all of her rage and love. And she felt weak immediately after the thought exploded in her head.

She was the worst spy ever, Skye realized, fighting the tears. If she still had her own free will, she would've run as far as she could by now. This was too much. The wizard behind the curtain was nothing more than a lovesick boy yearning for her. The spider she'd respected unwillingly wasn't so smart and cunning that he couldn't be trapped by earthly desires.

Yet she was frozen still, and he watched her from the distance he'd put between them like a barrier she needed to cross. He was captivated by her, barely able to keep himself from reaching. Luckily, Lucas knew he needed to be patient; he needed for her to reach out to him. He didn't even care why she would do it, just as long as she would. So far he had forced every touch, every word from her. He wanted to pretend at least that she was here because she felt something between them, that same spark that drove him beneath the surface, to linger in her shadow.

Skye swallowed, and turned her eyes towards Lucas. He appeared calm, but she could tell he was agitated. He was restless and impatient, and wouldn't wait for her to move forever. So he taunted her, "What are you afraid of?"

This was precisely what she had aimed at. He'd handed her the reins, and invited her to lead them. So why did it feel like there was a stone on her heart, pressing down hard and painfully? Skye conjured back the mask she'd used before; hiding her weakness, and looking at him like his request brought her no pain. The distance between them vanished all too quickly once she got to moving. She lingered a moment in front of him, feeling him breathe his excitement all over her. He wanted to touch her, but couldn't. This was the power she'd wanted, and it was torture for her too.

Skye framed his face with her pale hands, stroking his cheeks with her thumbs, like he'd done to her. He leaned into her touch, enjoying it so much that he briefly closed his eyes. And it didn't feel as uncomfortable as she'd suspected, Skye realized to her own shame. Lucas could feel the tenseness from her hands vanish. She shivered, and then she rose on her toes, bringing her lips to his softly. The kiss was tentative at first, like she needed to ask how much he wanted her to give, and then realized that the answer had been 'everything' all along.

Lucas moved his hands over her back, one hand sinking into her hair and one around her waist. His tongue teased her, and she had her tongue grazed against one of his teeth, while she tried to find that something she'd felt when he'd kissed her. Then his hands were on her butt, and their lips parted as he began to kiss her neck. Lucas dragged them backwards a bit, and he turned them over, suddenly lifting Skye on the desk, smiling because in his eyes she seemed completely entranced by him. She could feel that painful throbbing between her legs again; she ached for him. But she wasn't crazy yet, so the next time he leaned in to kiss her, she pushed him back with her hand on his chest.

"The deal was for one kiss," Skye said playfully, feeling a small sense of victory when Lucas quickly pulled away. Part of her sudden confidence was due to the gun and knife being practically at arm's length from her though. Skye didn't think Lucas would hurt her willingly, but had seen him lose all sense over much smaller things, so she chose not to take any risks.

Lucas gathered himself, biting his teeth together to keep himself calm. She was tricky. Skye clearly enjoyed playing with him, giving in a little, and then pulling back again. If this went on, a man could go crazy. He already knew he was close to his limit, and couldn't hide his disappointment in front of her. His eyes flashed dangerously, as he set his hands on both sides of the table around Skye, and leaned closer.

"Quite the opportunist, aren't we, Bucket?" he mused, hiding his disappointment in falsely gleeful banter. Skye saw right through it, her body tensing in response. Lucas surveyed her body ten long seconds, leading her to both excitement and terror.

"I think you might want to give me a gift," he then continued, leaning back. She watched in silence while he began to unbuttoning his shirt. Nevertheless, she soon grasped the gravitas of the situation at hand: he had no intention of letting her go again.

"Enough Lucas," she begged him, placing her hands on his to stop them from moving. She caught a flash of anger in his eyes, along with some compassion. But he continued anyway, and once his shirt was open, he tore it from his back, throwing it on the desk. Her eyes scanned his body, muscles covered in scars, signs of old injury and the harsh life he'd led outside of Terra Nova for five years.

After that he took her hand, placed a kiss on her hand palm, before moving it to his neck. She could feel the scar there, it was rough, and stroking it seemed to affect him deeply. He closed his eyes, relishing the pain and pleasure her touch brought him. But Skye withdrew her hand, forcing him to look at her again. She was very demanding, very agitated and very much aroused. She struggled to form words, but to her fortune they were interrupted.

A loud knock on the door woke them both from their thoughts. Lucas' eyes flew towards the door immediately, although Skye could only breathe in relief. She quickly pushed him back enough to slide down from the desk, and fix her appearance, as Lucas watched her go in resent. He picked his own shirt from the desk, and pulled it on him along with his holster and weapons as he walked to the door.

Skye stayed behind, unwilling to stand close to him again so soon. She observed though, realizing Lucas was being called to the Shannons – The duties of a dictator. She focused on gathering what was left of her calm, finding herself quite unable to focus on anything but the wanton desire that pulsated between her legs. Lucas spoke with his men quietly, turning towards Skye all of the sudden.

"C'mon Bucket, let's meet that friend of yours," he said, extending his hand for her to grab. Knowing full well that he meant for her to take it, Skye walked up to him and let him close her hand within his. His grip was possessive, but she didn't exactly sense anger from him. Somewhere behind his poker face, Lucas could only see how close he'd gotten.

TBC